The present invention relates to a seat belt apparatus installed in a seat of a vehicle such as an automobile. In particular, the present invention relates to a seat belt apparatus in which a pretensioner is actuated to tension a seat belt in the event of emergency situation such as a vehicle collision, so as to provide an enhanced restraining function.
Conventionally, seats of vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with seat belt apparatuses that restrain occupants to prevent the occupants from inertial movement when an extremely large deceleration is exerted in an emergency event such as, for example, a vehicle collision. The occupants are restrained during the emergency event even for purposes of protection. Some seat belt apparatuses are equipped with a pretensioner that tensions the associated seat belt during an emergency event so as to enhance the restraining function, whereby the occupant is rapidly restrained with a large restraining force(s). These conventional pretensioners are normally installed in the seat belt retractors of the seat belt apparatuses. However, some pretensioners are installed in a buckle such as, for example, that which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2003-54360, which is enclosed herein by reference in its entirety.
In a seat belt apparatus equipped with a buckle pretensioner, such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2003-54360, the pretensioner is actuated to pull the buckle during an emergency event, thereby tensioning the seat belt. In this case, the seat belt apparatus is provided with a kinetic-energy absorbing member with which the buckle comes into contact when the buckle is completely pulled downward to a bottom position.
With respect to the kinetic-energy absorbing members disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2003-54360, one has a complex shape, one requires a relatively complicated process of forming a guide groove or guide hole for a wire pulling the buckle, and one is produced from different parts. Unfortunately, the kinetic-energy absorbing member having a complex shape and the kinetic-energy absorbing member requiring the complicated process are produced from rubber (or resin having properties similar to that of rubber) and, therefore, the manufacturing cost of these kinetic-energy absorbing members is high. Similarly, the kinetic-energy absorbing member that is produced from different parts requires a more complicated manufacturing procedure that, in turn, also mandates high manufacturing costs.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in light of the aforementioned problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a seat belt apparatus that: (a) includes a kinetic-energy absorbing member that absorbs kinetic energy when a pull-in member, such as, e.g., a buckle or a lap anchor, is completely pulled to a bottom position; and (b) has a simple shape; and (c) may be manufactured at a lower cost than conventional kinetic-energy absorbing members.